Crafting and Upcycling on a "no" budget

Tag Archives: atlases

I’ve created a new “Tips” tab, where I’ll be posting tips for crafting. So far, I’ve posted “Trash or Treasure?” ideas, sharing what I save and why. I’ll be adding to the list as I think of more things! Hope it is helpful 🙂

Trash or Treasure? Here is a list of things I keep and store in my craft supplies instead of tossing:

The “hanger” straps inside tops and dresses. If they are made out of ribbon I cut them off the shirt and put them in my ribbon jar.

Glass jars & their lids. Salsa, pickles, jam… They’re just as good as mason jars and sometimes come with fun shapes or designs!

Old maps or atlases. You can do tons of different crafts with these, and they look so fun, too!

Old loofas. You can toss them in the wash (but not the dryer!) and cut them apart to use as netting or decoration.

Fun greeting cards. You can cut out and use the front of the Thank You/Birthday/Sympathy card to make a new one!

Packing Peanuts. I once made a bean bag chair and filled it up with packing peanuts (My work had a bunch of garbage bags full)! Much cheaper than buying the big filler bags at the store.

Wire, twine, string. I keep usable lengths in a big jar (Here’s where an empty pickle jar can come in handy!).

Old, broken crayons. They are great for coloring candles, or making those fun melted crayon on canvas projects. You can even melt them down in muffin tins or molds to make new, shaped crayons.

Magazines. One of my favorite things to do is decoupage!

Strips of cloth. After sewing I always have small strips of cloth that I put in a jar next to my sewing machine. These can come in handy for many a craft project!

Old silverware. You can bend them into all sorts of shapes (rings, hooks, bracelets) or make a wind chime out of them.

Candle wax. I always save that little bit that won’t burn anymore and save it in a jar until I can get a new wick and melt it all down to make a new candle. You can also put your “excess wax” jar on a “no flame” candle burner.